TV Tropes might save your writing, though. It’s a venerable wiki from the early days of the internet that has chronicled countless story elements:
“A trope is a storytelling device or convention, a shortcut for describing situations the storyteller can reasonably assume the audience will recognize. Tropes are the means by which a story is told by anyone who has a story to tell. We collect them, for the fun involved.”
This website is the most undervalued tool for writers I know of. It’s a kick for readers, too.
Don’t believe me, writers? Try these:
In the short story I’m writing, I wanted a prison break as a minor offstage event. But how to portray it originally? How to include details that aren’t cliched? If only there were a list of every prison break trope ever portrayed in anime, comics, film, literature, TV, video games, cartoons, and the web? Oh, look! I’m saved!
The folks at TV Tropes say that the site may ruin your life. But you might think it’s worth it. Have fun!
Novel Dog 